WINSight: Reflecting on Origin Stories to Design Our Futures
In the diverse and rapidly developing field of innovation, change is the only constant. But this year, due to COVID-19, the rate of change seems exponentially faster. Our personal and professional lives have been turned upside down. Our practiced methods of living and working changed in an instant. As innovators, and as people, the path has never felt more unclear.
In early September, WIN partnered with Wolff Olins and Sephora Woldu on an interactive workshop that focused on exploring classic film principles to inspire and develop actionable ideas for our futures. Learn about how these concepts apply to you and your innovation practice and dive deeper into our event takeaways below.
Defining the elements of storytelling in film
In film, a number of techniques, principles, and elements work together to develop characters, create tension, build themes and, ultimately, tell a story. Our workshop moderator, Sephora Woldu, selected the concepts that are most pertinent in designing our futures, and defined them for our workshop attendees:
Prequel: A story or movie containing events the precede those of an existing work.
Origin story: The foundational development of the story, giving context to intentions, motivations and establishing behavior.
Sequel: The continuation of a story that further develops the theme (or concepts) of an earlier one.
Logline: A one or two sentence summary of the central conflict of a story, often including the main plot and some statement or invitation to intrigue the audience.
Protagonist: The main character of a story, often the one the audience is rooting for (but not always). The story unfolds around the choices they make.
Antagonist: The main challenge or struggle of the protagonist.
The activity
Most people would agree that 2020 has been a strange year filled with derailed plans, extreme political tensions, and a lot of uncertainty. Inspired by this, Sephora led our workshop attendees in an exercise designed to reflect on and consider our individual 2020 experiences in relation to the bigger picture. Each participant created their own “movie” by moving through each of the film elements and consciously considering how each aspect impacts their broader story.
It’s important to note that this activity can be done at any time and through any lens - creative, personal, professional, or any combination of these. At different points in life, or even at different points in the same year, your answers may vary greatly.
Part 1: Zooming In
The first step of the exercise is to reflect on your 2020 experience through the lens of film by answering six questions about genre, logline, protagonist, antagonist, plot, and title.
Question #1 - If this year was a movie, what genre would it be?
This question focuses on the bigger picture, and asks you to identify a consistent theme or action that has been defining. For example, if you fell in love, started a relationship, or got married, this year may feel more like it falls into the romance or romantic comedy genre. For Sephora, this year has been filled with illogic, confusion and seemingly impossible events, so she selects sci-fi.
Question #2 - What is my logline?
As a reminder, your logline is a one to two sentence summary of your year. Since Sephora is a filmmaker who is currently writing her next film, her logline was: “A writer becomes stuck in her latest draft after old versions of her script begin to confuse, haunt and judge her.”
Question #3 - Who or what is the protagonist of my story for this year?
Reflect on your year, and consider who or what has been the main character. Did you get a new job or start your own company? Did you discover a new hobby? Or did you heal a relationship with a friend or family member? Consider what it is that you’re rooting for, or who/what has played the leading role in your year. For Sephora, the story she’s writing for her next film is the protagonist in her “movie”.
Question #4 - Who or what is the antagonist of my story for this year?
When considering the “antagonist” in your story, think about what the biggest challenge or hurdle has been. For example, if your protagonist is “a new job”, your antagonist may be “imposter syndrome” or “working with a difficult manager”. Sephora lists insecurity and the writing process as the antagonist.
Question #5 - What is the biggest event(s) so far for you this year?
Much like plot points in a movie, considering the biggest or most impactful events, both good and bad, can help you gain perspective on progress that has been made or challenges that have been overcome in your story. For example, in 2020, “Overcoming COVID-19 anxiety” would probably make its way onto many people’s lists.
Question # 6 - What is the name of your movie?
For this question, select a title that feels authentic to you in this moment. It can be uplifting, dark, comedic, dramatic, or descriptive. There is no right answer.
To show this structure in action, the below image includes the answers that Toy Story would give:
Part 2: Zooming Out
The last step of the exercise is to zoom out and look at your year as a whole to understand the role 2020 plays in the bigger picture of the rest of your life (so far).
When you reflect on your year, was 2020 your “prequel” year? Have you spent the year rebuilding or re-establishing the fundamentals of who you are and where you want to go?
Was it your “sequel” year? Instead of re-establishing or restarting entirely, did your year mostly build on the events or themes of previous years?
Or, was it your “origin story” year? Was this year the start to something completely new? A storyline that you will build on for years to come?
A few things to remember
The path is not always linear
When it comes to designing your future, your story is not necessarily linear. You can frame your origin story, prequel, and sequel in any order, at any time. Many movies are made out of sequence, just as many of our career journeys don’t follow a traditional path. As long as you’re following what feels authentic to your story, there is no “right” order.
Continuity
In film, important storylines, events, themes, or characters get screen time or closure. When elements of a story disappear without intention or explanation, it can feel like a mistake. In life, this translates to being deliberate about the aspects of your story that no longer serve you. If something has been a part of your story but you no longer have time for it or it no longer works with your life, it deserves closure.
Audience
However your film looks, your audience is you. Your opinion is the one that matters.
Thank you to Sephora Woldu for sharing her passion and facilitating this thoughtful workshop, to Wolff Olins for making this possible, and a huge thank you to our WIN community for your participation and support.
Editorial: Gabrielle Andrade
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